Outcomes of ScallopRAG and ScallopMAC June 2021

ScallopRAG and ScallopMAC met on 15 and 18 June, respectively, to consider the outcomes of the 2021 pre-season biomass survey for the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery (BSCZSF) and provide advice to the AFMA Commission on the total allowable catches (TACs), closures and season dates for the BSCZSF 2021 fishing season. The information provided below does not represent the view of the AFMA Commission, who are yet to consider this advice or come to a resolution on the settings for the 2021 fishing year.

ScallopRAG made the following recommendations, which were supported by ScallopMAC and will be presented to the AFMA Commission:

• The commercial scallop TAC be set at 4,000 t (less research catch allowance).
• The doughboy scallop TAC be set at 100 t.
• The following areas be closed:
  • The Hill east (estimated biomass - 7,540 t)
  • King Island 7 (estimated biomass - 209 t)
  • King Island 9 (estimated biomass - 4,725 t)
  • North of Babel A (estimated biomass - 1,288 t)
• The fishing season to open on 10 July 2021, or soon thereafter, and close 31 December 2021.

The final meeting minutes and recommendations from ScallopRAG 38 and ScallopMAC 35 will be available on the AFMA website by the end of July 2021.

Table 1: Summary of information collected for each of the beds surveyed during the 2021 BSCZSF annual biomass survey. AB = Apollo Bay, KI = King Island and FI = Flinders Island. Source: Fishwell Consulting.